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Over the last several years we’ve seen all kinds of models pop up for the creation and distribution of limited edition watches. It’s becoming more and more clear that this most recent period in watch enthusiast history will almost certainly be known as the “Limited Edition Boom,” or something along those lines. Look at the pages of any watch media website, including this one, and you’ll find that news items about various LEs and collaborations dominate the conversation, so it’s no wonder that a cottage industry has sprung up to develop these kinds of watches specifically. Watch Angels is one such platform seeking to provide an ecosystem for brands (mostly independent) to create limited edition versions of watches that are funded by the eventual purchasers. It’s like the old souscription model crossed with Kickstater, with the main difference between Watch Angels and typical crowdfunding mechanisms being that these projects are largely one-offs from already established brands, and not debut collections from a start-up enterprise.
Frederique Constant, certainly not a brand most observers would expect to dabble in a crowdfunding project, is the latest to partner with Watch Angels on a new limited edition release. The Frederique Constant Worldtimer Manufacture seen here is a new and slightly more refined spin on a signature Frederique Constant complication. They’ve been making some version of this watch since 2012 (remember their 10th anniversary worldtimer that saw the brand dabbling with the metaverse?) and it’s been the canvas for many limited editions over the years.
The new release with Watch Angels might be of particular interest to enthusiasts who put a high value on vintage inspired design, as this Worldtimer has been both reduced in size and the dial has been simplified considerably. The big news here is that this edition comes in a 40mm case, down from 42mm for the standard version from Frederique Constant. While we’re not in the realm of true vintage proportions at 40mm, necessarily, this case size should be noticeably more refined on the wrist than a decidedly modern 42mm case.
The case has not just been reduced in size, but the geometry and finishing have also been slightlhy reworked. The prominent “step” design is far less prominent on the new case, and alternating finishing techniques have been incorporated – the case walls and lugs are now brushed, which should make this version of the Worldtimer more palatable to those who are less inclined to adopt a fully polished look.
The dial is straightforward and does not include the world map motif and date that is often found on the FC Worldtimer. The crosshair design is a nice touch and the dial features varying shades of blue with a strong sunray finish in the most interior sector. The cities disc has also been positioned at an incline, a move that Watch Angels and Frederique Constant claim will improve overall readability. From these initial images, it does appear that this will be a highly legible and easy to read worldtimer in real world situations, which is something that watches with this complication sometimes struggle with by their very nature. The time in any of 24 time zones is easily referenced at a glance via the rotating 24 hour and cities discs at the dial’s perimeter. Like all Frederique Constant Worldtimers, this one is powered by the FC-718 caliber.
The new Watch Angels version of the Frederique Constant Worldtimer is a limited edition of 718 pieces. It’s available exclusively via Watch Angels during an initial “subscription” order period, which began last week and runs through March 13. The retail price is CHF 4,490.
